Baxters Update

So Baxter and I went back to the vet today so they could teach me how to give his insulin. Here is the Dr. Plan for Baxter.

• Start Insulin tonight ... and going FWD 2x a day
• Remove ALL dry food from his diet...
• Mix his new Diet food with his current food until he can get use it ( Hope this goes well Sometimes he can be Picky )
• Come back Monday at 2 pm to see show me how to Home test.

I have a few questions for all of you.

• How Often do you home test?
• Is there any " Good treats I can give him "
• Whats the best place to get the Insulin?

 

Personally, we test at least 4 times per day. Once before each shot, AM and PM, in the middle of the day (or right when coming home from work for the day, or whatever), and once before bed. But then if any of those show numbers that I was not expecting, or his behavior is weird, he'll get extra pokes that day as necessary.

There is a treat brand called Pure Bites that is just freeze dried meat -- chicken, turkey, may be others. Get the dog sized bag because it is a better value per ounce, but you might need to tear the pieces into smaller bits.

What kind of insulin are you using? That will dictate the answer about where to get it.

And Welcome to you both!

 

Lantus

 

Stacey, what is the "new Diet food" ? Sometimes the vet recommends the "prescription" food from the vet clinic, and this food, although canned and wet is still too high in carbs, as well as expensive. There is a food chart at the top of the Main Forum, that gives broken down info on many, many wet, canned foods. Many of us here on the board feed Fancy Feast classics and/or Friskies pates. No gravies or sauces. There are a great number of wet canned foods accessible either in local stores or via online ordering. I was urged to purchase the Hill's brand dry and canned food on diagnosis. Idjit wouldn't eat the canned food and both were too HIGH in carbs. Self defeating. We returned it for a refund and got on the FF and Friskies. Some of our kitties thrive on a raw diet also. Take a look at www.catinfo.org for more in depth information on diets for cats.

It's time to get that signature done, so that members who want to respond have Baxter's information right up front. You aren't always going to be online to answer and vice versa. How to create a Signature:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/editing-your-signature-profile-and-preferences.130340/ This information can be updated at any time, going forward.

What kind of insulin? You will notice that the Forum Menu has Insulin Support Groups. Each ISG has informational "stickies" at the top. It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with learning about that insulin, the procedures and protocols.

I learned that testing should be done prior to giving insulin, to ensure that it's safe to "shoot". Also to test at different times of the day, evening and night (if possible) to determine when the nadir (lowest BG point in a 12 hour cycle) is. Many of the insulin dosages are based on that nadir, not on the pre-shot test. Take a look at some of the members' spreadsheets, (not mine, I didn't help Idjit into remission correctly at all, was trying to work between advice here and vet instruction), when poof he was there! That's my baby boy! You are going to get lots of response on testing from more knowledgeable and experienced members. There are lots and lots of low carb treats. Freeze dried treats, low carb deli lunch meat, boiled or baked chicken breast bites. Don't forget treats for yourself, after all you are doing the work!

I will defer the question of where to get the insulin to others. Although you said you are supposed to start shooting tonight? Some members save $$ by ordering from a Canadian pharmacy, and depending on the type of insulin there are choices as to pens or vials. There is a Supply Closet here on the board with offers of insulin.

Simply, Stacey, there is a lot to learn at first, but it's doable. From testing to insulin to food to syringes and lancets, the information is here, in written form and via members responding to questions. I was absolutely overwhelmed, and unsure on arrival, but the members helped me, guided me and I am forever grateful. These people know what they are doing.

 

Gave him his first shot...a lot easier than I thought. I think he got scared cuz i just as little but the meds go in..if not tomorrow is another day.
Question do keep the opened Lantus in the refrigerator or out.. plus the vet said it's good for 3 months is that correct ?

 

Inside the fridge! It works as long as it does i believe it was only officially tested that long, but people have used it longer. If you're seeing odd post-shot numbers after 3 months it's something to keep in mind.

 

Yes, inside the fridge, but No on the "expiration". Many people have done enough testing to show that you can use an opened pen for 5-6 months. But Leah is correct - the testing will show you if it poops out before then.

Question though...are you using Lantus pens or a vial? And if using a pen, are you using pen needles or using a syringe to draw insulin out of the pen? Because we need to make sure you are treating the insulin appropriately for optimal life span.

 

Vail...
Using a syringe

 

I put our vial of Lantus in a coffee cup, with a folded paper towel cushioning it, on the middle shelf in the back of the fridge. The door is not a good storage place, too warm actually and there's the chance it might get knocked out, fall to the floor and break. I wanted to use some bubble wrap for the cushioning (I read that on the internet), but I didn't have any.

 

Thanks, Lou (@Idjit's mom), I agree with all of that. And bubble wrap works, as does something like this if you want to get fancy: https://www.amazon.com/Securitee-Blanket-Insulin-Vial-Protector/dp/B0013PS3OG

Do make sure that the very back of your fridge isn't too cold to freeze. Our old fridge didn't have good temp control and things would get frosty near the very back. We actually have a digital thermometer sitting right next to our insulin now that we bought out Wal-mart, and it will tell us what the highest and lowest temps have been in the previous 24 hours. It's cheap peace of mind. Freezing is very bad for insulin...worse than a little too warm.

The other thing that I just wanted to be sure of is that you are not shaking or rolling the vial around -- older insulins you had to do that and some vets or instructions still erroneously tell people to do so with an insulin like Lantus.

What you will probably find is that at the end of 5-6 months, or when you see the insulin isn't effective anymore based on your testing, you will still have a fair bit left. That is why many of us, except kitties on a high doses that actually CAN use that much insulin in that period of time, opt to purchase Lantus in pens. Instead of one 10ml vial, you get five 3ml pens (total of 15ml). The advantage is that each pen stays fresh until you draw from it the first time, and you have a greater chance of using an entire pen before it loses effectiveness. Therefore...no waste. When your current vial is no longer good, consider the pens, and https://rxcanada4less.com/ is the pharmacy that many members have ordered their insulin from. Just try to time it such that you aren't ordering it from Canada in the dead of winter when freezing might be a problem (on their end and/or yours). The expiration dates on the pens are usually pretty far out, and there really isn't much degradation until you actually start using a pen so you could order it a bit in advance so you have it when you need it. You still use a syringe to stick into the rubber stop on the pen just like you do out of the vial, you do not purchase the "pen needles" to screw on the ends of the pens like a human usually would.

Glad your first shot went well, and since we've thrown a lot at you, and there are some unanswered questions above from Lou above that would help us all to know as we continue to advise you, just holler back at us as much as you want. I am going to be scarce for the next day or so, but that's the beauty of this board -- anyone else can jump in.

Best,
Sandi.